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Structure and epitaxial orientation of Pt deposited PtSi layers on heated Si(001) substrate depend on the temperature of Pt deposition. Except at 1,000 K the predominant epitaxial orientation of the layer and substrate is an A orientation, with a partial B orientation between 920 K and 950 K. Area misalignment contributes to the A and B orientations in the layer and substrate below 1,000K.

The formation of epitaxial silicide films on Si(001) substrates is studied by means of medium-energy ion scattering (MEIS). The Fe deposition is obtained from a 99.99% pure Fe wire anddeposited on the Si(001) surface at room temperature. A series of heat treatment processes is then performed on the structures before the actual MEIS measurements are carried out. Results show that annealing at high temperatures causes islands of increasing heights to be formed on the surface of the substrate.

Focuses on a study which studied the lattice structure, composition, and morphology of ultrathin epitaxial films of beta-iron silicide grown on silicon through annealing. Description of lattices in the system; Experimental procedures; Results.

Examines the barrier height inhomogeneity in platinum silicide (PtSi)/p- type silicon (Si) contacts by internal photoemission. Influence of Fermi-level pinning on barrier height inhomogeneity in PtSi/p-type Si Schottky contacts; Interface structures in PtSi/Si contacts; Examination of the origins of Region II formation in both PtSi/Si and iridium silicide/Si contacts.

Reports global developments related to AIDS epidemiology and seroepidemiology as of August 1999. Prevalence of HIV and hepatitis C virus infection among drug users in Japan; Details on spread of HIV infection in a rural area of Tanzania; Risk factors of HIV/sexual transmitted disease among Aborigines.

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the effects of diabetes care on periodontal inflammation., Materials and Methods: This prospective cohort study included 51 Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes who underwent intensive diabetes care including educational hospitalization and regular outpatient treatment for 6 months. Dental prophylaxis without subgingival scaling was provided three times during the observational period. Associations between changes in periodontal parameters and glycaemic control levels were evaluated using multiple regression analysis., Results: Overall, 33 participants (mean age: 58.7 ± 12.9) were followed up for 6 months. At baseline examination, 82% were diagnosed with Stage III or IV periodontitis. Haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level changed from 9.6 ± 1.8% at baseline to 7.4 ± 1.3% at 6 months. The ratio of probing pocket depth (PPD) ≥4 mm, bleeding on probing (BOP), full-mouth plaque control record (PCR), periodontal epithelial surface area (PESA) and periodontal inflamed surface area (PISA) also significantly improved. The reduction in PPD and PESA was significantly associated with changes in both HbA1c and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) levels, and the reduction in PISA was significantly associated with an improvement in FPG after adjusting for smoking, change in body mass index and full-mouth PCR., Conclusions: This is the first study to report a significant improvement in PPD and BOP after intensive diabetes care and dental prophylaxis without subgingival scaling., Clinical Trial Registration Number: UMIN000040218., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: We previously reported an increased prevalence of asthma among patients who had lived in temporary housing after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. We investigated the prognosis of asthma in former residents of temporary housing after allergen avoidance., Methods: Asthma was diagnosed in adults ≥ 15 years from 2014 to 2019 who had lived in temporary housing in Ishinomaki City for at least 1 year. The disease prognosis after the intervention of allergen avoidance in cases that were followed for more than 3 years during the 6-year study period was analyzed. We measured the Dermatophagoides farinae -specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels in serum, and the amount of Dermatophagoides group 1 ( Der 1) antigen on their futons or mattresses. We instructed residents in an allergen avoidance strategy that included 32 tasks, including using microfiber bedding covers., Results: Of the 202 examinees who were followed for at least 3 years during the 6-year study period, 72(35.6%) were asthmatic during at least one examination. Of these 72 asthmatics, 55(76.4%) developed the disease after the earthquake, and more than half of the cases that we diagnosed at the examination were mild intermittent asthma. After the allergen-avoidance intervention, both the Der 1 level on the futons or mattresses of residents who were diagnosed with asthma but who were nonasthmatic at the final screening and their serum Der f -specific IgE levels significantly decreased (P < 0.01) at the final examination., Conclusion: Antigen avoidance ameliorated mild asthma that was prevalent among residents of temporary housing after the earthquake., Competing Interests: No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Introduction: The aim was to investigate the relationship of full-mouth inflammatory parameters of periodontal disease with diabetes and obesity., Research Design and Methods: This cross-sectional study conducted diabetes-related examinations and calculated periodontal inflamed and epithelial surface area (PISA and PESA) of 71 Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to evaluate associations between PISA or PESA and diabetes and obesity parameters., Results: Median value of body mass index (BMI), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level, fasting plasma glucose (FPG) level, and visceral fat area (VFA) were 25.7 kg/m 2 , 9.1%, 151 mg/L, and 93.3 cm 2 , respectively. PISA and PESA were significantly associated with HbA1c after adjusting for age, sex, BMI, smoking status, and full-mouth plaque control level (PISA: coefficient=38.1, 95% CI 8.85 to 67.29, p=0.001; PESA: coefficient=66.89, 95% CI 21.44 to 112.34, p=0.005). PISA was also significantly associated with the highest FPG tertile (>175 mg/dL) after adjusting for confounders (coefficient=167.0, 95% CI 48.60 to 285.4, p=0.006). PISA and PESA were not significantly associated with BMI or VFA., Conclusion: PISA was associated with FPG and HbA1c, but not with obesity parameters, independent from confounders such as full-mouth plaque control level in patients with type 2 diabetes., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Previous research has shown that physical activity with a low psychological burden and high feasibility (i.e. a focus on small lifestyle changes) contributes to the adoption of and long-term success in behavior change intervention. The present study aims to explore the physical activity with a low psychological burden and high feasibility in which people already engage in their everyday life in Japan. Sixty-four participants (22 males and 42 females ranging in age from 36 to 89) participated in a qualitative research survey that asked what type of physical activity they engaged in on a daily basis to maintain good health. Results of a thematic analysis revealed nine themes (behavioral categories), which included four core themes of exercise, gymnastic exercises, stretch exercises, sports, and strength training, and five core themes of nonexercise activity, walking, cleaning, using the stairs, engaging in agriculture, and gardening based on a description analysis. A thematic map was constructed based on Japanese physical activity guidelines. Key findings of this study are as follows: (1) walking has a low psychological burden and high feasibility; (2) gymnastic exercise is efficacious from a physical and psychological perspective; (3) nonexercise activities are more acceptable than exercise activities; and (4) a focus on intervention with nonexercise activities has the potential for high engagement in the Japanese population. The study indicates that significant resources are available for promoting health behavior change interventions that would increase physical activity in the Japanese population.

Introduction: The present study constructed a short form of the Healthy Eating Behavior Inventory suitable for use in the Japanese culture (HEBI-J) and confirmed the scale's preliminary reliability and validity., Methods: In Study 1, Japanese adults (N=75) completed a free-response questionnaire about healthy eating behaviours. Thematic analysis was used to identify three factors-balance, pattern, and restriction-associated with healthy eating behaviours and 12 items related to these healthy eating behaviours. In Study 2, Japanese office workers (N=784) completed two questionnaires regarding 12 items of healthy eating behaviours and the dietary stages of change., Results: Confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated that the three-factor model was appropriate (GFI=.94, AGFI=.90, CFI=.90, RMSEA=.08, SRMR=.53). Reliability was confirmed by alpha coefficients and the Spearman-Brown formula. Concurrent validity was confirmed by the relationship between the healthy eating stages., Conclusions: This study demonstrated the preliminary reliability and validity of the HEBI-J., (Copyright © 2015 Asia Oceania Association for the Study of Obesity. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Alcohol-dependent patients are known to be generally more unfairness sensitive. The ultimatum game (UG) is an experimental task designed to provoke feelings of perceived unfairness. A previous study using the UG has reported more unfairness sensitivity in patients with alcohol dependence than in a nondependent control group; it has been speculated that this increased sensitivity might be due to a difficulty in impulse control. However, the mechanism of this relationship has not been clarified. Therefore, the relationship between unfairness sensitivity in interpersonal relationships and impulsivity was investigated using UG and delay discounting (DD) paradigms., Methods: Subjects were 32 individuals with alcohol dependency and 36 healthy control individuals; both groups performed UG and DD tasks., Results: Participants with alcohol dependence rejected monetary offers deemed unfair at a significantly higher rate than did control participants. Moreover, the proportion of accepting unfairness was negatively correlated with impulsivity in patients with alcohol dependence., Conclusions: Perceived unfairness is related to impulsivity in patients with alcohol dependence. These results provide insights concerning the psychopathology of alcohol dependence., (Copyright © 2015 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.)

Many attempts have been made to find novel therapeutic strategies for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), while their clinical efficacy is unclear. We have recently reported a novel rodent model of NASH using melanocortin 4 receptor-deficient (MC4R-KO) mice, which exhibit the sequence of events that comprise hepatic steatosis, liver fibrosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma with obesity-related phenotypes. In the liver of MC4R-KO mice, there is a unique histological feature termed hepatic crown-like structures (hCLS), where macrophages interact with dead hepatocytes and fibrogenic cells, thereby accelerating inflammation and fibrosis. In this study, we employed MC4R-KO mice to examine the effect of highly purified eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), a clinically available n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, on the development of NASH. EPA treatment markedly prevented the development of hepatocyte injury, hCLS formation and liver fibrosis along with lipid accumulation. EPA treatment was also effective even after MC4R-KO mice developed NASH. Intriguingly, improvement of liver fibrosis was accompanied by the reduction of hCLS formation and plasma kallikrein-mediated transforming growth factor-β activation. Moreover, EPA treatment increased the otherwise reduced serum concentrations of adiponectin, an adipocytokine with anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic properties. Collectively, EPA treatment effectively prevents the development and progression of NASH in MC4R-KO mice along with amelioration of hepatic steatosis. This study unravels a novel anti-fibrotic mechanism of EPA, thereby suggesting a clinical implication for the treatment of NASH.